Antique Bronze Elephant Bell Rare Artifact Asian Home Decor Collectible

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Known in SE Asia as chu, this is a particularly large 19^th century elephant bell from Bagan. It is cast in bronze and has been incised with a traditional design and bears the maker’s insignia. Elephant bells of such impressive size are very rarely seen nowadays. A metal ball rolls around inside the bell and sounds against the bell wall with pleasant gentle notes. The bell is in excellent condition and is hung from a custom built stand. 

Dimensions

Circumference:  33cm, 13 in

Weight: 848g (without stand)

Height: 14cm, 5.5 in

Height of stand: 36cm, 14 in

Please see below for  shipping costs as well as a brief description of the  tradition of bell making in SE Asia.

Visit our gallery at www.sabaidesignsgallery.com to see our full collection of antique bronze bells, Buddhist art, Asian antiques, artifacts, silk textiles, and tribal textiles.

Antique bronze bells from Southeast Asia have understandably become a sought after collector’s item. The bells of old are often far more beautiful than bells crafted today. They were cast in bronze and bear a range of attractive designs and often interesting inscriptions. In SE Asia, the tradition of blacksmithing has always been an honoured occupation associated with courage, strength and integrity. The Nat is an ancient spirit guardian possessing supernatural powers. The household Nat can take many forms, the most powerful being the Mahagiri Nat,  Nga Tin-de (Mr Handsome), a blacksmith of extraordinary strength who was killed by a jealous king. “He wielded two hammers; with his right hand he held an iron hammer weighing fifty viss, and with his left hand he held another hammer weighing twenty-five viss. When Nga Tin-de worked his smithy and when he used his hammers against the anvil, the whole city quaked and trembled.” (Maung Htin Aung, Folk Elements in Theravada Buddhism).

They excelled at bronze casting using the lost wax method or cire perdue. The nature of the work was hot, dusty and malodorous so foundries and smithies were located on the outskirts of town in open sided bamboo shelters. They made their own crucibles of clay with a lip for pouring, and handled them with cradles of bamboo or wood during the casting process. A shallow hole in the ground served as a hearth and the charcoal fuel was kept at the desired temperature by bellows made from hollowed bamboo with feather covered pistons- an ingenious device which was used until it was replaced with leather bellows under the influence of the British.

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Reduced postage offered for combined items

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Postage Costs (registered airmail - 1-2 weeks)

Australia – AU $50.00

Europe & United Kingdom – AU $60.00

USA & Canada – AU $60.00

Asia & Japan – AU $40.00

Postage Costs (registered economy airmail - 3-4 weeks)

Australia – AU $38.00

Europe & United Kingdom – AU $48.00

USA & Canada – AU $45.00

Asia & Japan – AU $30.00

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Postage & Handling

·         We post worldwide using registered airmail unless otherwise requested

·         Shipping usually takes 7-14 days (but as little as 4 days for some destinations and up to 3 weeks for others)

·         Items are professionally packed to ensure safe arrival

·         Items bought within a 5 day period can be combined to reduce the cost of postage

·         Customers can request insurance and will be notified of the additional cost (Insurance may not be available for some countries)

·         If an item is returned to us marked ‘Unclaimed’, the cost of sending it again will be the responsibility of the customer

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Payment Information

·         We accept payment by PayPal and direct bank deposit into our Australian bank account 

·         Your items will be sent within 2 days of receiving payment

·         Prompt payment is appreciated

·         If payment is not received within 7 days after a listing closes and the winning buyer has not responded to our emails, a dispute will be lodged with eBay

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Return Policy

·         We agree to refund money paid for an item, less the cost of postage, or offer store credit to any customer not satisfied with an item

·         The item must be returned to us in its original condition, within 14 days of receipt to qualify for a refund or store credit

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About Us

sabai designs offers a dynamic collection of some of the most beautiful and interesting items available from Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia and India. Our products are hand made by skilled artists, craftsmen and women and are often ‘one of a kind’ pieces. We are constantly stocking our store with exotic new treasures that reflect the colourful cultures and traditions of the East. We hope to support traditional and emerging skills in developing countries by finding a global market for their rich and diverse creations. sabai designs also supports Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary for elephants in northern Thailand.

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Contact Us

For inquires please contact Kristin or Scott at info@sabaidesignsgallery.com

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Elephant Nature Park

sabai designs supports Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary for injured and mistreated elephants in northern Thailand.

www.elephantnaturefoundation.org

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sabai designs

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